Fugu Dugu, Alfonso Ponticelli

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courtesy Alfonso Ponticelli

A close-up of Alfonso Ponticelli.

Alfonso Ponticelli

The Chicago-based Gypsy Music Series premiered at City Winery in 2024 with a mission to highlight Romani musical traditions. The series is hitting the road in 2025, including a Madison stop by a pair of noteworthy artists. Fugu Dugu is led by violinist Madame Broshkina and guitarist Bucky Wanko, and plays a punked-up incarnation of music from Eastern Europe. Alfonso Ponticelli is a guitar master steeped in the freewheeling style of Django Reinhart but an expert in styles from many cultures.

media release: The Gypsy Music Series celebrates the diverse, electrifying traditions of Romani music and its global influence. Featuring world-renowned artists, it showcases the creativity and cultural richness of the Romani people through captivating performances, workshops, and storytelling. After the packed success of its City Winery debut, the Gypsy Music Series is hitting the road! Responding to audience requests for more, this electrifying celebration of Romani music is bringing its magic outside Chicago.

A cornerstone of Chicago’s Gypsy Jazz scene, Alfonso Ponticelli is a true master of his craft. His virtuosic guitar playing channels the vibrant legacy of Django Reinhardt, blending its timeless elegance with his distinctive, soulful artistry. Ponticelli’s performances are a mesmerizing combination of intricate melodies, fiery improvisations, and heartfelt emotion, creating an experience that’s both exhilarating and deeply moving. Beyond his technical brilliance, Ponticelli’s passion for connecting with his audience is evident in every note, drawing listeners into the rich, evocative world of Gypsy Jazz. Whether performing solo or collaborating with world-class musicians, he consistently delivers performances that resonate long after the final chord.

Fugu Dugu

Born in the smoky backstreets of Chicago but fueled by the fiery spirit of Moldova and Eastern Europe, Fugu Dugu is a female-led folk-punk revolution. Their music is a cultural explosion—raw, relentless, and drenched in the sounds of gypsy violins, Moldovan wedding chaos, and vodka-soaked rebellion. Imagine Gogol Bordello and Patti Smith raising a wild child in a back-alley bar in Chișinău—that’s Fugu Dugu. Fugu Dugu’s punk edge is more than just grit and rebellion—it’s a sophisticated kind of chaos, underpinned by unparalleled musical mastery. At the heart of this refinement is Madame Broshkina, a classically trained violinist whose intricate melodies and searing riffs channel both the elegance of a concert hall and the unbridled energy of a punk mosh pit. Her ability to weave virtuosic technique into the raw fury of Fugu Dugu’s sound elevates the band to a level rarely seen in the punk world. Add Bucky Wanko’s razor-sharp guitar riffs and incendiary lyrics, and you have a band that is as intellectually arresting as it is emotionally explosive. Their legendary collaborations include tearing up the stage with Oleg Skrypka, the “Godfather of Ukrainian Rock,” who called Madame Broshkina a “genius violin player.” They’ve also joined forces with Kommuna Lux and Balkan guitar wizard Enver Izmaylov, creating a sound that’s part village stomp and part urban punk riot. In 2024, Fugu Dugu took the United States by storm with a wildly successful 15-city tour, leaving audiences roaring coast-to-coast. Their debut album, Lunatic Parade, dropped like a Molotov cocktail—an unholy mix of folk melodies, pounding rhythms, and pure punk rebellion. It’s a soundtrack for revolts, heartbreaks, and vodka-fueled dances under the stars. As if that wasn’t enough, their track “Hanukkah Bell,” featured on a Grammy-winning album with The Klezmatics, became a Spotify holiday sensation, solidifying Fugu Dugu’s place as a musical force that transcends seasons and genres. Now, the band is gearing up for an even bigger 2025, ready to set stages ablaze with their fiery spirit and growing global fanbase.